A new format in the US-UK relations

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Op-ed

Saturday, 31 July 2010

Author / Source : Mohammad Amjad Hossain

Apart from the oil disaster, BP has been implicated by Americans in releasing Lockerbie bomber Abdel Basetel-Megrahi, a Libyan, from Scottish prison last year where he has been serving life imprisonment for bombing Pan American airline plane causing death to 243 passengers and 16 crews, mostly Americans in 1988. It is not understood why the issue of releasing Lockerbie bomber has arisen now who was released one year back on compassionate ground by a Scottish court. Wide range of issues including war in Afghanistan, global economy, BP's oil leak and peace in the Middle East and Iran's uranium enrichment programme received attention of both leaders of the United Kingdom and America. There has been unanimous opinion on these issues between two leaders of transatlantic. However, British Prime Minister has apparently defended giant oil company of the British by saying that both countries are being benefited by the British Petroleum and said that BP must cap the leak, clean up the mess and pay losses of the victims as a result of oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Having actively campaigning and stiff hearing from congressional energy committee President Obama has succeeded in obtaining a pledge from BP a $ 20 billion "escrow fund" to provide compensation to businesses along the Gulf coast region and workers affected by oil spill. The British Prime Minister also did not subscribe to the suggestion that BP had a role in releasing of the Lockerbie bomber from a Scottish Prison in exchange of granting permission by Libyan government to off-shore oil drilling to BP. Scottish authorities have released him on compassionate ground. David Cameron turned down the request of America for fresh inquiry into this matter, but BP would face hearing from Senate Foreign Relations committee soon. Both Obama administration and the British government acknowledged that the decision by Scottish government was wrong.
Having bilateral discussion with President Obama and lunch the British Prime Minister at a joint press conference said that linking justifiable anger over the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico with BP's suspected deal in releasing of a Libyan bomber undermine the viability of BP which plays a significant role to the economies of both countries. Thousands of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic depend on BP, the British Prime Minister pointed out. David Cameron also met four Senators from the Democratic Party who actually raised the issue of involving BP in releasing Libyan bomber.
Despite sour relations arising out of oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by deepwater broken oil rig of BP, both Cameron and Obama in fact presented a united stand on the issues of global security, war in Afghanistan. Both of them had praise over recent development in Afghanistan and international conference in Kabul on July 19 which endorsed Afghan President Karzai's efforts of reconciliation with Taliban, and reaffirmed their commitment to war-ravaged Afghanistan. The United Kingdom is the second largest contributor of troops to Afghanistan to fight against Taliban. On domestic front both of them are on same wavelength to reduce deficit and bring reforms in financial sector. President Obama has succeeded to bring bipartisan bill reforming financial sector a couple of days back. President Obama commended Cameron's calls for drastic cuts in spending which is logical in comparison with Britain's debt to GDP ratio. They discussed deteriorating situation in the Middle East.
In the opening statement President Obama reiterated special relationship that two countries enjoy while avoiding mentioning role of BP in creating ecological catastrophe. On the other hand, the British Prime Minister echoing same sentiment said that it should be tested with the passage of time. The word special relationship was coined by the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1945 at the end of Second World War.
In the twenty first century, political landscape, both in the United States and United Kingdom, has been changed. Power has been lying with relatively young politician in the United States and United Kingdom who appear to be pragmatic and realistic towards domestic and global issues. Cameron and Obama in fact have much in common, although they represent two different types of governments. Both leaders are on the same age group. In the election campaigns both talked about change and hope.
President Obama has been maintaining excellent relationship with the United Kingdom although some commentators, both in the United States and United Kingdom, speculate that Obama would be less warm to the United Kingdom than some of his predecessors because of Obama's grandfather was detained by the British during Mau-Mau rebellion in Kenya. The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was snubbed because the White House ruled out traditional joint press briefing. This assumption has been strengthened when Obama has replaced bust of Winston Churchill from the Oval office by his political guru Abraham Lincoln. Bust of Winston Churchill was presented by Tony Blair to Obama's predecessor George W. Bush. Obama not only removed bust of Winston Churchill, it was handed down to the British Ambassador to the United States which by all accounts tantamount to discourteous and undiplomatic behaviour.
Both America and the United Kingdom maintain more exclusive ties in economic, military and sharing of intelligence than with any other country. New York and London are regarded as financial centre and are interlinked. Both the countries are the biggest foreign investors in each other country.
President Obama has changed style of maintaining relations with leaders of the world, particularly with three transatlantic countries, Britain, France and Germany through video conference to discuss issues of mutual interests ranging from Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Middle East to financial and economic crisis. In other words, President Obama has introduced video conference diplomacy. We heard shuttle diplomacy and Ping Pong diplomacy and now video conference diplomacy has added in diplomatic parlance. President Obama's relations with the United Kingdom is excellent as has been reflected when both President Obama and the British Prime Minister bet over a bottle of beer on the outcome of US-UK soccer game in the world cup match.
Wearing an identical blue suits and blue tie both of them at a press conference on July 20 have made a joke on betting beer on football match between US and UK in the first round that ended in a tie. It gives the impression that two leaders of both side of Atlantic ocean have come to an understanding despite BP's mess in the Gulf of Mexico which is likely to cost democratic party in congressional election in November this year. q

(The writer, a retired Bangladeshi diplomat and former President of Nova Toastmasters International Club, writes from Virginia)